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The US will enter 2024 with its smallest military in over 80 years, while its adversaries continue to beef up their militaries.<\/p>\n
Pentagon officials said that the US faces one of its \u201cgreatest challenges\u201d yet as it tries to recruit more soldiers from Gen Z.<\/p>\n
Under the defense bill passed by Congress this week, the total number of active-duty troops will fall to 1,284,500 next year – the lowest total since before the US entered World War II in 1941.<\/p>\n
While the Marine Corps and Space Force reached their recruitment targets this year, the Army, Navy, and Air Force fell short.<\/p>\n
Ashish Vazirani, the Pentagon\u2019s acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness, said to the House Armed Services Committee this week that individual services missed their recruitment goals in 2023 by a combined 41,000 personnel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Vazirani said: \u201cThat number understates the challenge before us as the services lowered end-strength goals in recent years, in part because of the difficult recruiting environment.<\/p>\n
\u201c[The] all-volunteer force faces one of its greatest challenges since (its) inception.\u201d<\/p>\n
Military recruiters have said that those in Gen Z – born between 1997 and 2012 – generally have a \u201clow trust in institutions\u201d and have \u201cdecreasingly followed traditional life and career paths\u201d.<\/p>\n
According to Defense Department polling data from 2022, only nine percent of young people show a propensity to serve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Vazirani said: \u201cThis has led to a disconnect between the military and a large share of society.<\/p>\n
\u201cYouth of today are not saying no to what the military has to offer, they simply don\u2019t know much about military service.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that the Defense Department and military services are working together to resolve issues and expand awareness about military service opportunities.<\/p>\n
In 2024, the Army will have 445,000 active-duty soldiers, down more than 8.4 percent over the last three years. The Navy will have 10,000 fewer sailors, down three percent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Meanwhile, the US\u2019 adversaries, like China, continue to grow their forces.<\/p>\n
In 2022, China had the largest armed forces in the world, with about two million active soldiers.<\/p>\n
Vazirani said: \u201cWe must reach today\u2019s youth where they are with a message that resonates with them and motivates them to act.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the last 50 years, the all-volunteer force has proven itself to be the best way to maintain a force capable of defending our nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd with our combined efforts, I am confident we will remain as such for the foreseeable future.\u201d<\/p>\n
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